Bank trade unions threaten to go on 2-day stir in July

Chennai, May 25: Trade unions of banks today demanded regulated working hours and a five-day week for officers and threatened to go on a two-day strike in July, in support of their charter of demands.

GD Nadaf, Convenor of United Forum for Bank Unions (UFBU) said the central government offices and RBI were working five days a week and asked why banking industry cannot be brought on the same pattern.

“An avoidable expenditure towards fuel, water, energy are incurred for half a day work on Saturday. Instead, one-hour working hour may be increased for five days in a week,” he told reporters here ahead of the three-day meet of All India State Bank Officers Federation at Mamallapuram from tomorrow.

He charged the government with attempting to "deunionise" the banking industry through the back door implementation of Khandelwal Committee recommendations.

Nadaf said some of the residual issues of the 9th Bipartite settlement like compassionate appointment scheme, improvement to staff loans, corrections to the second option on pension scheme were still pending with the IBA/government.

“If no initiative is forthcoming from IBA/government, 10 lakh employees and officers in the banking industry will be forced to observe two day strike in July during the monsoon session,” he warned.

PTI